Wouldn't It Be Nice
by MythWeaver Nessa
Summary: A story inspired by the lyrics of my favorite Beach Boys song. Casey and Derek are grown up and back home for Lizzie's engagement party. How much has changed, and how much remains the same? DASEY!
1. Chapter 1

**Wouldn't It Be Nice** by MythWeaver Nessa

I don't own "Life With Derek", but wanted to have a little fun looking into the character's futures. The titles and song lyrics were written by the great Brian Wilson for The Beach Boys.

Chapter One- First Impressions

Casey McDonald looked at her watch and sighed helplessly as she waited for her luggage to come around on the conveyor belt. It had been a long day of traveling and she was ready to see her family. Well, ALMOST all of her family. She was here ostensibly for her sister's Lizzie's engagement party but she also had to meet with her stepbrother Derek Venturi about opening up a law practice together. Casey really did have a longing to leave the high-pressure Montreal legal world and open up a small practice near her childhood home. Derek was currently an attorney in an ambulance-chasing firm in Vancouver, but seemed to want to settle into a more personal and respectable firm, so they planned to discuss the possibility of joining forces here at home. But Casey hadn't really seen Derek since they had attended each other's law school graduations three years ago. They had both been too busy with their careers to manage to come home for a visit at the same time.

So many things were amazing to her right now. Number 1, that Lizzie was getting married. How could her sweet little sister actually be 23 years old and engaged? And little Marci was dating now! Edwin was following in his older siblings' footsteps and attending law school. He showed no signs of settling down soon. Apparently, neither had Derek. As for Casey, although she had had a few serious relationships, she just hadn't seemed to meet the right man. Someone intelligent and practical, but also someone fun, someone with a zest for life, someone who would look at her like she was the only woman in the world for him. That just hadn't happened, and until it did, she wouldn't settle for less.

Casey finally saw her luggage come along and started to grab it, when a man's hand covered her own and a voice said authoritively, "I'll take care of that, Casey." Startled, she turned around to see Derek grinning impishly at her, and grabbing her large suitcase at the same time. "Is this all you have?"

"Hi, Derek!" Casey hugged him quickly. "No, I have that garment bag as well. The black one with the brown striping, right there, see?"

"This one? I've got it! Now let's move out of these people's way so we can greet each other properly." They moved over to the side of the room, and Derek swept Casey into a big hug. "I almost didn't recognize you, Casey. In fact, when I came in here looking for you and couldn't find you, I started looking at this hot-looking woman with dark brown hair and wondering whether I should go introduce myself, when she turned her head and I realized that it was you!"

Casey smirked. "Oh, I'm sure…"

"No, Casey, it's true." Derek grabbed her hand and kissed it, then squeezed it before he let it go. "You're a very beautiful woman, don't you know that?"

Casey looked at him piercingly. He really looked sincere, but of course he was just buttering her up to sweeten the deal on their possible new law firm. Casey decided to just be gracious and drop it.

"Thank you, Derek. You look quite dashing yourself."

"And that's the understatement of the year," Casey thought to herself as Derek thanked her in return. There was no other word for Derek Venturi in his late twenties but "drool worthy".. A woman could get lost in those brown eyes, and that voice was so smoothly seductive in its tone. His hair, impish grin and impeccable clothing completed the impression. "I know he's got women falling all over him. Do I really want to go into business with him and deal with that?" The thought did not appeal to her at all.

It took Casey a moment to realize that she and Derek were standing in the middle of a busy airport staring mutely at each other. Derek seemed to come to himself at the same moment, and looked down and grabbed Casey's bags again. "Well, we'd better get going, Casey. You know you want to visit with the family and have plenty of time to get changed for the party tonight. Are you looking forward to seeing me in a tux?"

"You have no idea," Casey was thinking when she put her arm through his. "Actually, I was just thinking about how your jaw will drop when you see me in my sexy black something tonight."

Derek stopped grinning and raised an eyebrow. "You intrigue me, Casey. If my jaw drops, you have to give me the first dance tonight, no matter how many men are falling at your feet. Okay?"

Casey squeezed her hand on Derek's arm and smiled at him. "You have a deal."

Derek grinned then looked ahead as they walked to his car. "I guess growing up changes a lot of things," thought Casey, "but not everything. We left our teenage bickering behind us years ago." She stole a sideways glance at Derek. "So how do I hide my feelings now?"

Derek Venturi's thoughts were completely unsettled. He had come to the airport to pick up his stepsister, and was leaving the airport with a goddess. The sight of Casey McDonald had sent him reeling- all of these years he had told himself that he had worked himself through law school and tried to climb the corporate ladder solely because that's what he had wanted for himself. One look at Casey brought it home to him that he had wanted her to be proud of him as well. All of these years he had been telling himself that the reason that he had never settled down with one woman was that he was a confirmed bachelor. One look at Casey McDonald brought sharply into focus the real reason- that he had given away his heart when he was still a teenager…to his own stepsister.

AN: Lots more to come, please read and review!

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	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Surprises and Revelations

Disclaimer: I don't own anything in this story and receive no profit from it in any way.

Some things never changed in the Venturi household, such as everyone fighting over the bathroom. Lizzie, of course, had the highest claim, as it was her engagement party. Marti, the teenager who had to look perfect for every occasion, was busily banging on the door to finish her makeup. As for Casey, after spending some time catching up with her mom and George, she took a quick shower and finished getting ready in her old bedroom. No point in adding to the confusion, but she was taking extra special care with her hair and makeup. She piled her hair up in a becoming twist, and left delicate tendrils hanging down from the elaborate do, framing her face. She took extra time with her makeup as well. She definitely wanted to look drop dead gorgeous for this special night. She told herself that it was out of love for her sister, but she had to admit that she was eagerly anticipating Derek's reaction when she came down the stairs. It was a moment she had imagined for years, and tonight she wanted it to happen, so much that it frightened her.

After finishing her makeup, Casey reached into the closet and pulled out her dress. She had bought it on impulse the week before, knowing how well it became her figure and complexion. But she had never worn such a daring dress. It was really a sari, but with a difference. Wrapping the bodice was different- it crisscrossed over her chest in the front, wrapping around her neck, but her back stayed bare. It showed off Casey's beautiful figure to perfection. After putting on the dress, adding some simple jewelry and a quick spray of perfume, she made her way downstairs.

"Casey! You look beautiful!" Nora exclaimed as she entered the kitchen, where everyone, even Lizzie, was waiting for her to come down. "Thanks, Mom," Casey replied, but her eyes were scanning the room for Derek. But he had his back to her, looking intently out of the window, for something had obviously caught his interest there. She walked over next to him and looked out, but saw nothing unusual. "What are you looking at, Derek?"

Derek jumped as if she had scared him to death, and turned around and sat down at the table without saying a word. Casey turned and looked at him in hurt astonishment, but he would not look back at her. Lizzie was prodding him. Derek shot Lizzie a look and for some reason it made Lizzie back off. She looked at Casey as if she understood the situation perfectly, and shrugged. But Casey was devastated.

What had she done? This afternoon had been so perfect. He had seemed so eager to see her, and their flirtatious banter had encouraged her to finally anticipate that MAYBE Derek was somewhat attracted to her. All of the effort she had put into making herself beautiful tonight was to see his reaction, but obviously she had just kidded herself this afternoon, and the spark she had imagined was just that, her imagination. She looked at George and Nora with tears in her eyes, but before anyone could say anything, the doorbell rang.

It was Sean, Lizzie's fiancé, and apparently it was his jaw destined to drop this evening when he looked at Lizzie. His reaction to her was so perfectly what Casey had imagined Derek's to be for her that it hurt Casey terribly, so much that after greeting Sean she had to leave the room to compose herself. Casey heard George say something to Derek and then the door opened. Apparently everyone was leaving for the party, so she ran out to ride with George and Nora, because she couldn't bear to be with Derek right now.

Casey walked out the door with a smile on her face, but it froze there when George stopped her entrance to the car. "Case, your mother and I are going to have to stay late at the party to clear up. I've already asked Derek to give you a ride, okay?"

George wouldn't look her in the eye when he said it, so he couldn't see the look of sheer terror on Casey's face. She had to count three before she spun around and began to confidently walk toward Derek's car. She had never felt more like Babe Raider, but her courage was false. In fact, she was amazed that she was not witnessing the re-birth of Klutzilla. But she did make it to the car, and there was Derek's hand, helping her in. She glanced at him quickly, but he still wasn't looking at her.

Derek closed her door with a force that startled her and brought tears to her eyes again. When Derek sat down in the driver's seat, she was reaching for her Kleenex. She started to wipe her eyes, but a masculine hand suddenly reached over, gently took it from her, and wiped her eyes. Casey looked over at Derek, but his expression kept her from saying the heated words that were coming to her lips. Neither of them could say anything, but Casey looked at Derek's stricken face with astonishment.

"Derek, what's wrong?"

Derek sat back in his seat and sighed, but his eyes never left Casey. His eyes raked over her, then he moaned as if in anguish and ran his hand through his hair nervously. He stared at the steering wheel for a moment, but his eyes returned to Casey as if drawn to her by some magnetic force. When he finally spoke, his voice was merely a hoarse whisper.

"Why do you have to be so damn beautiful?"

Casey was stunned. "What did you say?"

Derek reached up to caress her face. "Case, you don't know what you're doing to me. You and that dress are more than I can take. Don't you know why I wouldn't look at you?" He moved his hand away and looked away again, took a deep breath, and then there were his eyes blazing at her again. "When I saw you come in tonight not only did you make my jaw drop, love, but you brought me to my knees. If I hadn't turned to grab the countertop I couldn't have kept on standing. I couldn't look at you, Case, and stop myself from doing something scandalous right then and there. Casey, don't you understand that what I thought then and what I'm thinking right now about you is anything but brotherly? Because all I want to do is take you back in the house, strip that dress off and make love to you."

Casey gasped, and Derek sat back and covered his eyes in frustration. "See, I knew this would happen. Now everything is ruined, you'll probably never speak to me again, much less go into business with me. But Casey," he grabbed her hand forcefully and made her look at him again, "you have to know everything now. The truth is that I've been in love with you almost since the beginning. I only tortured you so much when we were kids so that you wouldn't see. I stayed away after we finished high school so that you wouldn't see. I thought that I could handle having you in my life again, but the truth is, I'll never be able to be your brother, or just your law partner. I want your love. I want to marry you and make babies with you. I want to dance with you tonight and know that we have the rest of our lives to dance together."

Derek had been leaning forward, looking earnestly into Casey's eyes. She was trembling, and began to cry. Derek wiped the tears away, and kissed her gently on the forehead. "Are you okay, Casey?" he whispered, lowering his head to look at her again. Her eyes were closed and she didn't say anything for a moment.

"Derek, I don't think I'll ever be okay with you again."

"Casey, no, don't say that…"

"Derek…I'm not through."

"I'm sorry, Case. What is it?"

"You promised to dance with me tonight, Derek."

Derek turned his head around and smiled wanly.

"Don't tease, Casey. How do you think I'll feel, dancing with you knowing that I can't have you?"

Casey opened her eyes, smiled gently, and took his hand.

"What about dancing with me knowing that you do?"

Derek's eyes were intense. "Casey?"

Casey moved in to him and held his face. "You have me, Derek. You always have."

Derek closed the inches between them and kissed her hungrily. Over ten years of longing on both of their parts culminated in one moment of passion. Their urgent need for each other blocked out everything except their sense of each other. It wasn't until Derek tried to move his body over to hers that he hit the parking brake and realized that they were in his car, still in George and Nora's driveway, and late for Lizzie's party. He slowly sat up, sat back in his seat, grabbed Casey's hand and kissed it gently.

"You're going to be the death of me, woman."

Casey began scattering kisses on his neck. "Maybe, but I'll make sure you die happy."

Derek cupped her chin and forced her to look at him. "If you're with me, I will."

"We've been so stupid. I've known that I loved you ever since I broke up with Ben in high school!. I couldn't help comparing him to you, and he just didn't measure up. All these years, Derek, we could have been together. And now that we are, I don't want to waste time."

"I know, but baby, we've got to get to the party now. I'm sure everyone is at the hotel by now. They'll be wondering where we are."

Casey sat up and began trying to fix her dress. Derek laughed softly. "You might want to refresh your lipstick while you're at it." He laughed again. "It's been a long time since I've been parking, Case. I have to say that it's much more enjoyable than I ever remembered it."

Casey smiled. "Enjoyable but frustrating, you mean." She leaned over to him teasingly. "I'm not nearly done with you yet." She kissed him again, passionately, but stopped after a moment and whispered, "I need to go inside for a minute. Be right back, love."

Casey emerged from the house a few minutes later with a small bag and a big smile. Getting back into the car, she leaned over and kissed Derek again. When she pulled away, they sat looking into each other's eyes for a moment. Derek caressed her face.

"Is this really happening? Because I've dreamed it would be like this so many times…"

Casey began nibbling on his ear. "If it is a dream, it's the best one I've had in years."

"Case, baby, if you don't stop it we're never going to get to the hotel."

Casey sat back in her seat with a contented smile. "Then let's go, Derek. By the way, I called the hotel while I was in the house."

Derek looked at her. "Why did you do that?"

Casey leaned over to whisper in his ear. "I had to find out if they had any vacancies for tonight. I can't do what I want to do to you tonight here at home."

Now Derek forgot that they had to leave and started nuzzling Casey's neck. "So what did they say?"

"They did happen to have a room available. So brace yourself, Derek, you're in for the night of your life."

After a few more moments of kissing, Derek cranked the car and they finally left for the hotel. They arrived in short order. Derek was about to get out of the car when Casey grabbed his arm.

"Derek, how are we going to get through the party without letting anyone know about us?"

Derek sat back and looked at her. "I guess it's not the right occasion to announce it to the world, then, huh?"

Casey nodded. "Derek, most of the people here at this party think of us as siblings.

Never mind that we aren't blood related and haven't lived together as step-siblings for a decade. It's going to be a shocker to them. Our parents deserve to hear this from us privately before anyone else knows. And I wouldn't put a damper on Lizzie's engagement party for anything. I want her to have the perfect night with Sean.

Derek leaned over and kissed her. "Well, then, I'll try to make my eyes and hands behave. But it's not going to be easy – as hot as you look tonight, the men will be all over you. Just save most of your dances for me, will you?"

"Derek, just remember that you'll be the one taking me to bed after the party's over."

Derek's breath caught in his throat and his eyes darkened as he looked at her. "Did I say most of the dances?" He leaned over to kiss the sensitive spot on her neck that he'd discovered a few minutes earlier. "You're making it awfully difficult to rely on my discretion, my dear."

AN: Please review my work- I'm always wanting to improve my writing!


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this- "Life with Derek" or "Don't Worry Baby" by Brian Wilson for the Beach Boys, or the movie "Clueless". My only profit is the fun I had writing this story.

Chapter 3- The First Dance

"Where are Casey and Derek?" Nora asked George anxiously. "Weren't they right behind us?"

George looked at his watch. "We left the house an hour ago. When I looked back, Derek was helping Casey into the car. They should have arrived right after we did."

"George, what if there was an accident?"

"Nora, I'm sure they're fine." George was silent for a minute, then took her hand and looked at her earnestly. "Nora, I think you should prepare yourself for something. I've sensed it all day- Derek and Casey are not only still attracted to each other, but I think it's very intense. From the way they were acting right before we left, I have a feeling that they're late because they are finally coming to an understanding with each other."

Nora was quiet for a minute, and then sighed. "I know, George. It was obvious as soon as they walked in the door. They may not have understood it when they were kids, and may not have realized it while they've been apart all of these years, but it's obvious that they are waking up to it now. George, what will we do?"

"Nora, there's nothing we CAN do. They're adults. It doesn't matter anymore that we're married if they get together. But I should tell you that I think they've both known the truth for a long time, they've just been in denial about it."

"Okay, you're right about their relationship. I think I've known for some time that they wouldn't be happy unless they were together. But I'm talking about tonight, George. This is where they grew up. Tonight could be uncomfortable, and it's Lizzie and Sean's night, and they deserve to be happy too."

George looked up as he saw Derek and Casey enter the room. "Well, they're here. We'll just have to trust them and hope everyone has a happy ending tonight."

Nora looked up to see Derek and Casey walking towards them. Casey had her arm in Derek's and they both wore very contented smiles, but that was the only evidence that there might be anything going on between them. That is, until they sat down at George and Nora's table.

"Dad, Nora, we need to tell you something. It's very important but I want you to know that we won't let it affect Lizzie's night. But it's important that you know right away…" Derek stopped and looked at Casey "…that I'm in love with Casey."

"And that I love Derek, too. We're going to be a couple." Casey interjected. "But we'll try to be discreet tonight, at least not too obvious. I know it's awkward, since we're stepsiblings, but.."

"Honey, that doesn't matter anymore." Nora put in quickly. "You're not telling us anything that we hadn't guessed already. It's okay, and I'm happy for both of you. But I do appreciate your discretion tonight. There are a lot of people here tonight who would be taken aback, and I'm glad that you're sensitive to that."

Derek sank his head down on the table with relief. "Thank God. You've no idea…I've tormented myself over this for years, and I was so afraid that you wouldn't support us. Not that we needed it, but we both wanted it." He looked up, took his dad's hand, and shook it. "Thanks, Dad…Nora."

George shook his son's hand firmly. "I know better than anyone how important it is to find the right woman, and spend your life making her happy. I'm proud of you, son, and I'm happy for you, too."

At that moment the concierge came over to the table and got Derek's attention. "Excuse me, Mr. Venturi, I just wanted to inform you that everything in your room has been taken care of as you requested."

Derek reached into his pocket and tipped the man. "Thank you."

When the concierge left them, Casey was blushing furiously and Derek smiled sheepishly at George and Nora. "I said we'd be discreet, but we did think it would be best for us to have some privacy tonight. I'm sure you understand."

George and Nora nodded blankly. "We'll be spending our nights here at the hotel until I return to Montreal on Sunday," said Casey. "But we'll be at the house with the family during the day. We'll tell the rest of them about this tomorrow, okay?"

"That sounds fine, dear. But are you sure…"

Casey pulled her mom aside. "Mom, I know it seems like this is happening too fast. Two hours ago I had no idea that Derek returned the feelings that I have for him. But Mom, we've loved each other for years. God knows we both fought it, but it's real, and it's forever. In fact, Derek's already mentioned the "M" word."

At that, Nora gasped, but Casey reassured her. "He hasn't officially proposed yet, Mom. But he will. And I'll accept. It's what we both want." Casey hugged her mother. "Mom, please be happy for me. It's the right thing for us. I can finally be glad that I'll never love anyone else the way I love Derek. I can finally stop pretending and be open with him."

Nora was crying, but smiling and laughing. "I am happy for you, Casey. I've prayed for years that you would both find your way back to each other. I always knew how it was."

Casey laughed. "Well, you know how I love Jane Austen, but didn't you ever wonder why my favorite movie has always been "Clueless" instead of one of the more accurate Austen movies?"

Nora laughed. "Of course I knew. I just always wondered if you did!"

Derek walked up at that point. "You're talking about chick flicks at a moment like this?"

Casey took his arm. "You know the one that I always tried to get you to watch with me?'

"The one that I never did?"

"Yeah, well, babe, you might have saved us a lot of lonely years if you had."

Derek groaned. "Don't tell me that. I just couldn't watch a mushy movie with you, I would have been too vulnerable."

Casey grinned wickedly. "Mushy movies make you vulnerable, eh? I'll keep that in mind."

Derek took her hand. "Speaking of being vulnerable, I did promise you a dance. Shall we?"

Casey adjusted his tie and let her hand rest on his chest, then looked him in the eyes. "Oh, yes."

Derek led her to the dance floor and took her in his arms as the music began to play.

"_Oh, it's been building up inside of me for oh, I don't know how long._

_I don't know why but I keep thinking something's bound to go wrong_

_But she looks in my eyes, and makes me realize and she says:_

_Don't worry baby, everything will turn out all right_

_Don't worry baby, don't worry baby."_

It was the most intense moment of their lives- listening to lyrics of a song that said what their hearts and minds were thinking, knowing as their eyes never left the other's exactly what the other was thinking, holding each other and knowing but not able to physically act upon it yet…at least not in public…but maybe that just made the moment that much more special to them both anyway- the looks they gave each other told the story as much as touches and kisses, if not more. They belonged to each other and this was the first of many dances. They were inevitable, and all of the inequities in the universe, at that moment at least, seemed to have righted themselves.

AN: Please review!


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Good Vibrations

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, and receive no profit from it except my fun in writing it.

Casey sat down beside Lizzie after having danced about 10 dances in a row. Only the first one had been with Derek- there were a lot of old friends here, Sam among them. He had asked for about 3 dances and she had obliged, knowing that if she kept dancing with Derek she wouldn't be able to disguise how she felt about him. Derek had danced with about 9 other girls and was still at it. She'd have to stop him soon, lest he wear himself out before the party ended, and that she would not have. She was looking at him with a soft smile on her face when Lizzie interrupted her thoughts.

"So have you and Derek settled everything between you?"

Casey started and looked at her sister. "What?"

Lizzie laughed. "I mean, have you two finally confessed all? Because it certainly looks that way to me."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Lizzie."

Lizzie snorted. "Yes, you do. I think that you admitted your undying love for each other before you got here tonight. I think that you can't wait until the party is over so you can finally get started loving each other. I bet you have a room all ready upstairs. Am I right or am I right?"

Casey gasped. "Lizzie, you're scary. Do you know that?"

"Not scary, Casey. Just observant. Not that you have to be too observant with you two. Number one, it was obvious that you two were into each other from the beginning, and all the fighting was just your method of denial. Number two, denial continued by never coming home when you knew the other would be there, but you two have always talked by phone, I'd guess a few times a week. Right?"

"Right."

"Number three, my engagement forces you both here together. Derek immediately shows signs of trying to make something work by suggesting a law partnership. You have reservations but you catch the next plane here anyway. Number four, when you came downstairs in that hot little number Derek was waiting at the door for you, but the second he saw you he went pale and grabbed the kitchen countertop like it was a lifeline. He spent the next minutes looking at everything in the room but you, so George decided to bring things to a head by making you two ride together. Number five, when you danced tonight I would have known it if I hadn't had anything else to go on. Need I elaborate?"

Casey grinned. "Nope. You're right, even down to the room upstairs. We planned to tell you tomorrow."

Lizzie rolled her eyes. "Let's see, Mom wanted to avoid any hint of scandal at my engagement party, right?"

"More like Derek and I didn't want to draw attention away from Sean and yourself. It's your night tonight. We'll have other nights."

"Much appreciated, Casey. But you know," Lizzie said in the midst of an obviously fake yawn and accompanying arm stretch, "you're not the only one that has a room reserved upstairs, and right now I'm inclined to speed us both up on our way to carnal joys by calling it a night."

Casey laughed. "Oh, sis, I owe you big time. You have no idea."

"You think I'm doing this for you? I've wanted to push Sean off the dance floor and into the elevator for about 2 hours now. You and Derek might want to try beating us there, because it wouldn't surprise me if the elevators got stuck tonight."

Soon after, the party began breaking up, but Derek couldn't find Casey anywhere. No one seemed to know where she had gone. Sam was trying to find her too. It was only too obvious that Sam would have liked to rekindle an old flame with Casey, and Derek was seething. So where had Casey gone?

Sam walked up to Derek. "Hey, Der, have you seen Casey?"

"No, man, why?"

"I just thought I might take her out for drinks."

Derek looked at Sam as if he was an idiot. "Sam, you've carried a torch for Casey ever since high school. Even after she dumped you for Ben. And after she eventually dumped him you still tried to come back for more. She's NEVER been interested, Sam. Why do you keep beating a dead horse?"

"What's it to you if I do?"

"Would you like a news flash, Sam? Casey's in love, man. She's all but engaged. So you just stay away from her, got it?"

"Really. That must be killing you, Derek. How do you sleep at night?"

Derek threw him a look and crossed his arms. "Would you care to explain that, Sam?"

"Talk about carrying torches. Has she ever wanted YOU, Derek? And don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about. We were best friends, remember? I've carried a lit match for Casey compared to your torch. So if she's all but engaged, why don't you just let it go?"

Derek looked at him for a moment and decided to tell the truth. What the hell, the party was over anyway.

"I'm not letting go because I won, Sam. She's mine."

"Derek, what are you talking about? She's your stepsister, for God's sake!"

"If you'd tell me how that remotely matters anymore, I'll be glad to listen. We're not related by blood, and we haven't slept under the same roof for ten years now."

Sam smirked. "So she's yours and you've not slept with her yet? Yeah, right. Either you're living in a fantasy world or the great Derek Venturi has lost his touch."

Derek saw red. "Man, that is NONE of your business. You just take my word for it, she's mine. So you just stay away from her, got it?"

Sam noticed that they were beginning to create a scene and backed off. "All right, Derek. I'm leaving. But you're one sick puppy, you know that? This isn't over. I'll be back."

Sam pointed his finger in Derek's face before he turned around and walked away. Derek stood there for a moment and shook his head. People around him had started to move again, and he looked around for Casey. He hoped that she hadn't seen any of that. She was still nowhere to be found. "Maybe she's already gone up to the room," he thought. He went to the front desk to find out.

"My name is Derek Venturi. Are there any messages for me?"

The clerk checked. "Ah, yes, I do have one here for you, sir."

Derek took the sealed envelope. What if she'd changed her mind? What if she'd heard his argument with Sam and run away? He took a deep breath and opened the envelope.

There was no written message, only a room key.

Derek opened the door to the hotel room to find that Casey had already set the mood. The room was lit only by one dim lamp. There was a scent of candles in the air, but no candles. "Hotel rules, I guess," thought Derek. Mood music was playing in the background, and yes, the bottle of champagne that he had ordered was there as well. The bed had been turned back…but most importantly, there was Casey, waiting for him.

"You're here." They both said it at the same time, then laughed at their own insecurities.

"Of course I'm here." They'd done it again. This was too silly.

"I had a kind of altercation with Sam downstairs a few minutes ago," Derek blurted out.

"With Sam? What about?"

"He was looking for you, to ask you out. I, er...I ended up telling him about us, but I'm not sure he believed me."

Casey sighed. "I did notice that he hadn't given up on me. Maybe we should go talk to him tomorrow, together. He needs to get on with his life."

"So do we," Derek murmured as he approached and took her in his arms. "But I did sort of expect to find you had slipped into something more comfortable."

Casey nuzzled his neck and whispered in his ear. "It's a sari, darling. I've just been waiting for you to come and unwrap me."

"Show me how."

Casey guided his hands to the place where she had tucked in the end of the sari, and Derek began slowly removing the garment. He found it tantalizing to unwind the filmy garment from her body and delighted in exploring Casey as he gradually exposed her. He was gratified to realize that she was equally uninhibited about touching him. When they finished undressing each other, Derek picked Casey up and carried her to the bed, put her down gently and laid down beside her.

"Casey, I…"

Casey laid one finger over his mouth, which he immediately began kissing with ragged breath. "No words, Derek. Show me."

With that, Derek covered Casey's mouth with his, and they continued staking their claim to each other, speaking without words and finding ultimate bliss in pleasing each other. And after their love climaxed in shared ecstasy, they held each other, talking and touching before they eventually fell asleep, each heart having finally found it's home.

AN: I've had lots of hits but I'd like more reviews- tell me how you think I can improve my writing! And thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Catch a Wave

Disclaimer: I don't own "Life with Derek" and receive no profit from this story other than the fun I have in writing it.

Whoosh!

Derek pryed open his eyes, sat up in bed, trying to get his bearings. It took a second before the memories of yesterday came back to him. Just imagine, 24 hours ago he had been a nervous wreck, wondering how he would handle seeing Casey McDonald again. Now he was watching a bathrobe clad Casey open the drapes in their hotel room, letting the sunshine in. He grinned at the memory of just how little sleep she had allowed him last night, well, actually it would have been this morning, since the party didn't even break up until midnight, and they had only intermittent naps in between, what was it, the FIVE times they had made love?

"Feeling fairly proud of ourselves, are we, Venturi?" Casey smirked at the look on Derek's face.

"Couldn't keep your hands off me, could you, Case? Well, it was only to be expected. I am, after all, the world's greatest lover." Derek crossed his arms behind his head and leaned back against the headboard with a self-satisfied look on his face.

Casey rolled her eyes, but crawled in bed with him anyway. "Well, I HAVE had worse."

Derek smiled, leaned over and kissed her passionately, then pinned her down on the bed and placed a very obvious hickey on her neck. "There. You can stir up as many arguments as you want, love, but you're stuck with defense exhibit A for a few days. Your arguments won't have a chance of standing up in court now."

Casey laughed. "I still think I won," she whispered. The look in her eyes caused Derek to lean down and kiss her softly. "I love this Case," he replied. "I'd like to continue addressing it, if I may," he whispered huskily as he undid the tie to her robe.

"I do need to give all due attention to your positions, Mr. Venturi, but I'm not yet done with my oral arguments."

"Are they substantial?"

"Actually, I think they will produce some pretty hard evidence to support my case."

"What kind of verdict are you looking for, Miss McDonald?"

Casey began passionately kissing his neck, while her hands were busy running over Derek's body. He moaned as his body responded to her, guiding her hands and kissing her all over with abandon. Casey was in charge this time, and it was frenzied lovemaking, all-absorbing, driving Derek almost insane with desire.

"I think I've made my case" Casey whispered.

Derek stopped kissing her neck and brought his head over hers, his mouth an inch from hers, his ragged breath increasing her desire.

"I do find your arguments very persuasive, counselor."

"And what is your conclusion?"

"That I want you right here, in my bed, every morning for the rest of my life."

Casey smiled. "Then perhaps, counsel needs to take steps to make that a reality?" she whispered as her mouth teased his.

"Whatever the princess wants." Derek's body shuddered, he couldn't take anymore.

"Good," Casey murmured as she placed kisses around his mouth, tantalizing his senses. "Then I'll start by taking you."

"Again?" Derek chuckled.

Casey sighed. "For better or worse, you know."

Derek looked at her intently. "You think you can handle me for life?"

Casey smiled at him. "Counselor, I think I've just proven that."

Derek chuckled. "And so you have. Well, Case. If you're sure you want me, you've got me. But I'm not returnable, or exchangeable. You have to take me as is."

Casey looked in his eyes, and saw the teasing glint, but also saw the love. Life with Derek would never be easy, but she loved a challenge. And she loved this man.

"I will."

Derek smiled softly, then reached down under the bed and brought out a small jewelry box. Casey's eyes opened wide as he opened it and she saw the beautiful marquee diamond set in white gold.

"I was planning to do this later. I've been carrying this ring around ever since I heard you were coming home. I thought it was just wishful thinking. But…" he took a deep breath. "Casey, will you marry me?"

Casey leaned over and kissed him softly. "Oh, yes- I will."

Derek smiled broadly and put the ring on her finger. "Well, Case, I guess you won. I'm not sure how great the prize is, but you've won."

Casey smiled. "Oh, Derek. What I've won is my soul mate. What I've won is the only man I've ever loved. So what did you win?"

Derek held her hand and looked at the ring, then looked at the woman who had tamed Derek Venturi. He leaned down and kissed her, and as desire began overtaking him again, he whispered in her ear, "I've won my Case, babe. I've won my Case."

AN: Hope you enjoyed- read and review! The story will take an interesting turn in the next chapter- stay with me, I promise the journey will be worthwhile!


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Heroes and Villains

Disclaimer: I don't own any of this, my only profit is the fun of writing about "Life with Derek" and Beach Boys songs.

Derek and Casey pulled into Sam's driveway and parked the car. They'd decided to stop here and get what was sure to be a difficult experience behind them before going home and celebrating with their family. Sam was an old friend to both of them, and they hoped that all would be resolved, that Sam would accept that they were together, and move on with his life. Derek reached out for Casey's left hand and fingered the ring that he had placed on her finger just a couple of hours before.

"Does it make sense that I'm happier than I've ever been but dreading telling this one person WHY I'm so happy?"

"Of course it does. I know you don't want Sam to be hurt."

"But last night, I didn't care. I was jealous, Casey. He wanted you too, and I was on him like a …well…I guess I was afraid he'd take you away from me. I've felt that before, you know, when we were kids, I didn't realize that my affection for you was not brotherly until I knew he wanted to date you…and I couldn't tell him why I didn't want him to. But last night, I shouldn't have stirred up an argument with him."

"Maybe not, but it's done now. And I really do understand. Let's just try to keep our tempers in check right now, okay?"

Derek smiled and squeezed her hand. "And squeeze if we sense ourselves losing it?"

"Sounds good." Casey squeezed his hand back, looked at him, and smiled. "I love you."

Derek leaned over and gave her a quick kiss. "I love you, too." He looked at Sam's house, and sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."

They rang the doorbell and waited a few moments before Sam came to the door, telephone nestled on his shoulder. He didn't greet them, just looked at them a moment, clearly unhappy to see them. He spoke into the phone: "Hey, I've got company, I'll have to let you go. But you understand me, right? Very well, then." Sam clicked off the phone and moved out of the doorway. "Won't you come in?"

Derek and Casey entered the living room and Sam motioned for them to have a seat. "Anybody need a drink? I know I do." He reached over to the bar and poured himself a whiskey, then looked inquisitively at Derek and Casey, who declined. "No? Well, bottom's up!" he scowled as he downed his drink in one gulp, then sat down across from the couple. "So, Casey, want to tell me about that ring you're sporting on your left hand?"

"Sam, we came to tell you…"

"I don't think you have to, Casey. It sure wasn't there last night. I know, I checked. So I can think of only one person who could have put it there." He looked at Derek sadly. "Guess I should have believed you last night. You were telling the truth."

"I was, man. But I'm sorry I pounced on you the way I did. You didn't deserve it."

Sam smiled, but it was a sad smile. "Well, we both acted like cavemen last night, and I was more than a little drunk. So let's just forget it ever happened, okay?"

Derek sighed with relief. "Agreed. Sam, you have no idea how glad I am to have you say that."

Sam grimaced. "Well, I have to admit I was still mad at you when I woke up this morning, but things have changed somewhat. That phone call I was on when you got here kind of put things in proportion." He looked over at Casey. "Casey, can you tell me about your relationship with Ben?"

Casey shifted uncomfortably. "That really doesn't concern you, Sam. That's between Ben and myself."

"Casey, I have reasons for asking. Would Ben ever had reason to suspect that you were hiding feelings for Derek while you two were dating?"

"I can't answer that, Sam. I suppose it's possible, it IS why I broke up with him, but I don't know if he ever guessed the truth."

Sam frowned, but it wasn't an angry frown, it had some fear in it. "So you DID use him, Casey?"

Casey had tears in her eyes. "No, Sam! At least, not intentionally. As soon as I realized I had feelings for Derek, I broke up with Ben. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to hurt you, either. Please believe me, Sam." She broke down into tears, and Derek put his arms around her.

"Don't cry, Case." Derek whispered, and looked at Sam. "Come on, Sam. We were best friends. You know Casey- she never would have hurt you deliberately. You know how she and I both fought our feelings for each other. We couldn't help it, buddy. Now we can finally be happy. Please, Sam."

Sam was quiet for a few minutes, watching Casey sobbing and Derek comforting her. He had seen this coming before they had seen it themselves…that they were not only perfect for each other, they were meant to be. They balanced each other's excesses, and after months of bickering, started bringing out the best in each other. Sam had known they were on a collision course, even when he himself was dating Casey. So really, how could he blame them now, all of these years later, for finally doing what they should have done years ago?

"Casey, I'm sorry. It's okay. I'm not saying these things to you because of me…I…well, I guess I should tell you before I go on…"

Casey's tear-blotched face looked up at Sam, who shrugged. "I can't very well accuse you of being in denial when I let myself believe last night that I might still have a chance with you. I knew better. I've always known better. It's my own fault, not yours."

Casey smiled through her tears. "Thank you, Sam."

Derek stood up and shook his friend's hand. "Thanks, Sam."

Casey stood up, walked over and hugged him. "You've always been a special friend, Sam. You always will be."

Sam kissed her cheek. "Just be happy, Casey."

She smiled at him. "I am, Sam. You be happy too."

Sam changed the subject. "We need to get back to Ben. Sit down, guys, there's some things you need to know."

"What's going on, Sam?" Derek asked.

"The plain and simple truth is that he never got over Casey. In fact, he still has an intense, unhealthy attachment to her."

Casey stared. "That's not possible. Ben's married to Emily. I was her maid of honor. He has no reason to…"

"Casey, don't you know? Ben and Emily are getting a divorce. She's claiming mental cruelty."

"My God! What did he do to her?"

"Apparently Ben spent the entire five years of their marriage comparing her unfavorably to you, the love of his life."

"What? That's not possible. I NEVER told Ben that I loved him, in fact I only ever kissed him a couple of times. I broke up with him because I realized that I was just using him to try to forget Derek."

Derek interrupted. "Case, you know that these obsessions are rarely based on reality. Remember the stalker case you handled last year? But Sam, how serious do you really think this is? Is it really something to be that concerned about? After all, we'll be leaving tomorrow."

Sam nodded. "I think it could be extremely serious. I'd be a bit worried about either of you going home by yourselves right now. I meant it when I said the man's obsessed with Casey. He could be dangerous."

Derek looked worried. "Casey, maybe you should call Dad and Nora and tell them we'll be late coming home. Sam, why don't we take you to lunch so we can talk about this right now?"

Sam nodded. "I must admit, I'll feel better about it myself."

Casey made the call home, and they all walked out to Derek's car to ride to the restaurant. But as they approached the car, Derek gasped.

"What the hell happened to my car? It's been keyed down the side, and the tires are slashed!" He walked around the car. "My God, keyed on BOTH sides? What the hell is going on?"

Sam paled. "Back in the house, guys. Lock the door and don't open it for anyone but me."

"Sam? You don't think…"

"Just get in the house. I'll be right back. Derek, keep that door locked, man."

Derek sensed his friend's urgency and nodded. "Come on, Case," and pulled her back in the house, locking the door behind them. He sat her down on the sofa, then walked about, checking all the doors and windows. After assuring himself that they were secure, he joined her in the living room.

"Derek, Sam thinks its Ben."

Derek squeezed her hand. "I can't think of anyone else, Case. But…oh my God!" he broke off, hearing a gunshot out in the yard.

Casey screamed, and Derek grabbed his cell phone, dialed emergency, and gave Sam's address. After telling the dispatcher about the gunshots, they heard a frantic knock on the door. "Go hide in the closet, Casey. I'm looking out the window. If it's Sam, I can't leave him out there."

Casey nodded and ran. Derek ran to the window and saw Sam holding his arm. "Let me in Derek! He's gone."

Derek opened the door, let Sam in, and locked the door back behind him. "Yes, emergency?" he said into the phone. "My friend has been shot in the arm. Send paramedics immediately. The gunman may still be in the area." Sam grabbed the phone from Derek. "Dispatcher, he ran away on foot. His name is Ben Striker and he's 6'2, muscular build, dark brown hair and green eyes. He's wearing a blue jogging suit. He ran towards Pebble Hill Road. I don't know his address, but I know he lives in that area. Yes, I'm fine. I think it's just a flesh wound. Yes, I'll be fine until the paramedics get here. Oh, and make sure to send forensics, he slashed Derek's tires and keyed his car. Yes, Derek Venturi, he's the gentleman who initiated the call. Thank you."

Sam cut off the call as Derek led him to the sofa. "Casey?" Derek yelled. "Come on out, Sam's hurt."

Casey opened the door and gasped when she saw Sam's wound. "Sam, your arm!"

"He shot me, Casey. Ben shot me. But I'm okay."

"Where's your first aid kit, Sam?" Casey asked.

"In the cabinet, under the kitchen sink."

Casey brought the kit and tried to stop the bleeding with a tourniquet, and began to clean the wound.

Derek had remained silent and contemplative while all of ths was going on, but now asked a question.

"Sam, why would he shoot you?"

"Because…" Sam faultered.

Derek paled. "Sam? Tell us the rest, right now!"

Sam grimaced. "Emily didn't want me to tell anyone this, but the truth is, Ben didn't just mentally abuse her. He beat her up, all the time."

"No way! Emily would NEVER have put up with that!"

Sam sighed. "Well, she did try to get away. She tried to run away several times, but he always caught up with her and beat her more. Except the last time. Thank God, she came here. I hid her until I could get her checked in to a battered women's shelter. She's been there ever since."

Casey flopped down on the sofa, stunned. "So he did have a grievance against you, if he learned that you helped her get away from him."

Sam sat up and looked at her intently. "Derek, you'd better get over here." Derek came and sat down by Casey. "What, Sam?"

"Yeah, Ben shot me because he learned I'd helped Emily. Guys, it was Ben whom I was speaking to on the phone when you got here. He'd called trying to find out if I knew where Emily was. But I think he already knew that I'd helped her. Anyway, I got off the phone quickly because I didn't want him to recognize your voices. But…"

Derek was afraid now. "Sam?"

"He was staking out my house, man. He must have been. Just before he shot me, he said that I'd made a bad habit of harboring his women. It was plural, Derek. He must have seen you arrive and trashed your car because of it. Tell me, if he saw you arrive, would he have been able to tell that you two are a couple?"

Derek and Casey looked at each other and nodded. "Yes, he would. We kissed right before we got out of the car."

Sam nodded grimly. "Then we're all in danger, guys. He's after all of us. So what do we do now?"

Just then the police and the ambulance pulled up, and conversation ceased until Sam was on his way to the hospital. Derek briefly explained the situation to the officers, and they assured him that they would assign someone to guard Sam. The officers asked their plans, and Derek shrugged helplessly.

"I'm honestly not sure at this time, officer. I live in Vancouver and my fiancé lives in Montreal. But I can't let her fly home tomorrow alone if Ben is still at large. I'm also concerned about Emily, Ben's wife. She's hiding in a local battered women's shelter. How safe would she be there?"

"The shelters are fairly safe but there have been instances where they have been found. I can't blame you for being concerned, this Ben character seems to be psychopathic. We've put out an APB on him, and hopefully we'll capture him soon. But if he escapes us, you may want to consider going into hiding, son. Tell me, what do you want to do right now?"

"Can we stay here with an armed guard for now?"

"I think that will work. I think your friend Sam will be treated and released. So perhaps staying here with an armed guard is your best option, at least for now."

Derek nodded. "We'll do it. Keep me posted."

"Will do."

Derek turned and walked back into the house, where he found Casey crying. He sat down beside her and held her. "Baby, it's going to be all right."

Casey looked up at him questioningly. "Derek, how can you possibly know that?"

He kissed her forehead gently. "It has to be, Casey. We've all been through too much already. Besides," he cupped her chin and made direct eye contact with her. "I will NEVER let anything happen to you, Case. NEVER."

Casey smiled tremulously. "You've been a lot of things to me in my life, Derek. But "Knight in Shining Armor" never entered my mind."

Derek chuckled. "That's why you've never been able to forget me, Casey. I've always kept you guessing."

Casey sighed and put her head on his shoulder. "I do love a challenge."

Derek held her as she fell asleep, then covered her with a blanket and laid her head in his lap. "I can't let anything happen to us," he thought. "but I'm no hero. So what do I do now?" He gently, absently ran his fingers through Casey's hair, hoping that Ben would be captured before he had to make a decision. But right now, the best thing he could do was to hold Casey as she slept. And when Sam arrived home from the emergency room, it was to find them both cuddled up on the sofa, both fast asleep.

AN: I know, I threw you quite a curveball! Now you know why I put in "Ben, the Unknown". But I couldn't write a story that was pure fluff, without a bit of angst thrown in! Don't forget to review!


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7 – Let the Wind Blow

Disclaimer: I don't own "Life with Derek" or anything produced by The Beach Boys or Brian Wilson. I receive no profit from this story except my enjoyment in writing it. The chapter title "Let the Wind Blow" is a song from Brian Wilson's album "I Just Wasn't Made for These Times"

"Hey, Derek."

Derek opened his eyes to see Sam shaking him gently awake.

"Hey, Sam." Derek sat up groggily and rubbed his eyes. "Hey, man, how're you doing?"

"I'm fine." Sam's arm was bandaged and in a sling. "They removed the bullet, cleaned the wound and dressed it and let me go. They gave me a prescription for pain killers, but I think I'll stick to ibuprofen. I'm afraid anything stronger would knock me out or make me drunk."

Derek nodded. "Did you talk to the guard?"

"Yeah. Apparently, Ben got away. He hasn't been home, and they lost his trail."

"Damn!" Derek swore. "Well, I guess we need to figure out what to do next. Are you able to talk right now? I mean, do you feel up to it?"

"Sure, Derek. I'm really okay."

"Tell me what Emily's done legally to protect herself from Ben. I'm talking about Risk Assessments, safety plans, Restraining Orders. Also, has she kept a log of everything Ben has done to her?"

"When she moved in here I had the police come by to take her statement. They did a Risk Assessment at her request. She had kept a log of all the abusive incidents for about a year. She really did great. She'd taken digital photos of her injuries, things he broke around the house when he was angry, so she had photographic evidence. On the strength of it, Ben was charged with aggravated assault, multiple counts."

"So he does have a charge against him already, before the incident today?"

"Yeah. The judge, stupid man, did grant him bail, but Ben was ordered to stay away from her."

"Yeah, that's called a "term of release". It's standard in assault cases. If he so much as approaches her again, he'll be rearrested on that charge."

"What does that mean for Emily?"

"Well, it's not that effective. The perpetrator is usually released AGAIN on bail, but with even stricter limitations. But for a perpetual abuser or stalker, those limitations rarely work. They always seem to come back for more."

Sam sat back on the sofa. "So, what's left? Does Emily stay in the shelter until Ben is behind bars for good?"

Derek smirked. "For good? That doesn't mean anything. Oftentimes even when the perpetrator is sentenced and serves time he can be released without the victim being notified, so it happens frequently that there is another assault and the victim isn't prepared."

Sam sighed. "So where does that leave us?"

Derek ran his fingers through Casey's hair. "Depends on how you look at it. I think it would be good if we all got out of town for a while, but we need to stay together. I can try to file an ex parte Restraining Order on Ben for Casey, but since it's been over ten years since they briefly dated, I'm not sure about obtaining it. But at least I can have it on file that I made the attempt. If that doesn't work, I can file for a Peace Bond."

"Okay, you lost me. What's an ex parte Restraining Order, and what's a peace bond?"

"When Emily got her Restraining Order, what happened?"

"The judge just granted an emergency one until Ben was summoned. Then she was granted another one after he appeared before the judge."

"Right. The Emergency Restraining Order is an ex parte. It's granted when there is an immediate need but can't last longer than one week. It just grants the victim protection until the alleged perpetrator has a chance to be notified of the order and appear before the judge to tell his side of the story."

"So why might that be a problem for Casey?"

Derek sighed. "Well, Restraining Orders are family court matters. It can only apply to partners and ex-partners, and since Casey and Ben had such a brief relationship, and since it occurred such a long time ago, it's unlikely that a Restraining Order would be granted. Plus, threats and property damage aren't considered grounds for a Restraining Order, and that's all that can be proved right now."

"What about the Peace Bond?"

"It does consider threats and property damage as evidence of endangerment, but the catch is that Peace Bonds can't be granted unless the accused answers a summons to appear before a Justice of the Peace. The victim has to be there as well, to give evidence under oath. Then the accused has the chance for rebuttal, and the JP decides whether or not to grant the bond."

"Well, that stinks. But what can the Peace Bond do?"

"You understand that in our situation this is all a formality to establish precedent, that we have used all the legal redress available to us for protection. It really doesn't mean anything if Ben is willing to go after us at any cost, and from his actions today I think we have to assume that is the case."

Sam frowned. "So the Peace Bond doesn't mean anything?"

"Well, it's not a criminal charge against the accused. But if he breaches the bond, it is a criminal offense. Also, if the judge issues the bond and the perpetrator refuses to sign it, he can be jailed for up to 12 months. But there's no precedent on the sentence if the bond is breached. It's usually just a slap on the wrist."

Sam nodded. "So you need to try to file this stuff before you leave town?"

"Right. Like I said, it's just a formality. But it'll be good for a jury to know we followed the legal procedures- it gives them a sense that we were really concerned for our safety."

"That's if Ben is caught."

"Chances are, he will be. We can have the police continue to do drive bys and stakeouts at your home, and at Dad and Nora's. I'm sure that Ben will make another attempt."

"So you think I need to leave town with you guys?"

Derek nodded. "Yeah, I think so. The police aren't going to be able to keep a guard here. You can hire one, but it's usually a better choice to go to a safe place."

"What about Emily?"

"She's the safest of all of us right now, that is unless Ben finds the shelter."

Sam looked thoughtful. "Derek, I can't leave her here. If I go, she needs to come with us."

"That could look bad for her at his trial. The defense could suggest that she didn't really think herself in much danger, if she was willing to leave the shelter."

"Would it really make that much difference?"

Derek thought about it a minute. "Well, it could lose her the case. On the other hand, he's going to be facing even more serious charges by the attempted murder charge he'll face for shooting you. Her situation wouldn't have any bearing on your case against him, only on hers. So he'd still be looking at serious time, even if he's not sentenced in Emily's case."

"But won't her case have to be discussed in mine? I mean, the fact that I was protecting her is the reason Ben came after me in the first place."

"Maybe, but the defense would probably argue that Ben shot you because of Casey and myself, not because of Emily. See, if Ben only came after us, and Emily's situation was not admitted, then Ben could come off as someone who just lost his head in a fit of jealous rage, rather than as someone who consistently beat his wife. There's more sympathy with the jury then, and a good chance for a light sentence. Yeah, his lawyer would do everything humanly possible to keep Emily's name out of the courtroom altogether."

Sam sat back in his chair and sighed. "So, where do we go from here?"

"I think I have an idea. Sam, let's go to the courthouse and let me file all this paperwork, and then we'll all go to Dad and Nora's. I hate to, because it might endanger them. But Ben knows where they live, so it probably won't make any difference anyway. They may be able to help us. Why don't you go pack your bags and let me make some phone calls. Maybe I can pull some strings on Emily's behalf."

Sam nodded. "I'm glad you know the law, Derek. That's a comfort, anyway."

Derek smiled wryly. "I just wish that the laws were better. We get a lot of cases in my firm where people try to manipulate the law to make money, or to hurt another person out of spite. There's way too many loopholes that people can take advantage of. That's one reason why I'm looking forward to starting a firm with Casey. It'll be good to use the law to help people with real needs for a change, instead of just the freeloaders and manipulators."

Sam laughed. "Man, Derek, I can't believe you're saying this. The Derek Venturi I know couldn't wait to make his first million. Isn't that why you joined your firm in the first place?"

Derek nodded. "I'm ashamed to say it is. But that was before I saw how cases like those hurt people. I've seen divorce cases where the parents fought for months over stuff, and neglected their kids. Or deadbeat dads who've changed jobs constantly to keep from paying child support. I've seen a millionare sue a single mom, who was barely making ends meet, for all she had- just because she put a scratch on his new Porsche when she was trying to get her baby out of it's car seat. It just makes you sick after a while. I guess seeing the real world changed me. I'd like to try to help the people who really need help, rather than make money off of the ones who are milking them dry."

Sam nodded. "The world didn't seem like such an evil place when were kids, did it?"

"Man, I thought the world revolved around Derek Venturi, or at least it owed me something. At least I thought that until I fell for Casey. Not being able to have the one thing I wanted more than anything helped me grow up, I think."

Sam stood up and headed upstairs. "Well, let me get to packing. I guess you need to wake up Casey and make your phone calls."

When he was gone, Derek looked down at Casey, who was still sleeping peacefully, her head in his lap. Much as he hated to bring her back to reality, they really did need to get busy. "At least I can wake her gently," Derek thought, and began kissing her.

"Umm…Derek…" Casey mumbled as she began sleepily kissing him back.

"Wake up, baby," Derek whispered as he kissed her eyes.

Casey opened her eyes and looked up at him, then her eyes opened widely as she realized that they were at Sam's, and everything that had happened came back to her. "Derek? How long did I sleep?"

"About four hours. I actually slept for a while too. Sam's okay, he's upstairs packing his suitcase. I've got to try to get to the courthouse before it closes and file some paperwork, and I'm going to see if we can use the condo that your mom's law firm owns in Edmondton as a temporary safe house for us until Ben is caught. If it's not being used, it would be an ideal hideaway for us."

Casey nodded. "That's a good idea. And Sam is going with us?"

"Yes, and he wants to bring Emily as well."

Casey gasped. "But that could hurt her chances of winning her case!"

"I know, but Sam did say that Emily has photographs of her injuries and kept a good record of Ben's abuses over the past year. That should override any qualms that a jury might have. Plus, if she goes into hiding with us, we might be able to tie Ben's shooting of Sam into Emily's case. A judge still may declare it inadmissible, but it's worth a shot."

Casey smiled. "So we're going to Edmonton, Derek? You know, we might be accused of taking our honeymoon before the wedding," she giggled as she laid her head on his shoulder.

Derek lifted her face up to his. "Case, I know you're scared, but at least we'll be together instead of on opposite sides of the country." He looked down at her hand and fingered her ring. "Of course, we could just get married there, you know."

Casey shook her head. "A real honeymoon with Sam and Emily there? I don't think so. On our real honeymoon, I want you all to myself."

Derek glanced upstairs, then looked back at Casey. "What is it?" she asked.

"Just wondering…"

"What?"

"Just wondering how much time we have before Sam comes downstairs."

Casey raised her eyebrows. "Time for what, Derek?"

Derek sighed. "God, I just wish we could be alone."

Casey ran her hands through his hair. "Well, we are going into hiding. Think of all the hours we'll have, stuck in a condo with nothing else to do…"

Derek started moving her shirt collar over as he kissed down her neck. "Guess I'll need to bring my Monopoly game, then…"

"You want a monopoly, Venturi? I plan to monopolize you the entire time we're in hiding, what do you think of that?"

"You're a ruthless competitor, you know that?" Derek moaned as she began kissing him relentlessly.

"No more than you. Besides, I promise you fringe benefits when you land on my property."

"Benefits, Casey? And just what might those be?"

"Would you care for a demonstration?"

Derek heard Sam coming downstairs and sat up. "Would I ever. But I think it'll have to wait."

Casey sat up as well as Sam came down with a large suitcase in his hand. "I packed for a week, and since we'll pretty much be stuck inside for a while, I brought some games. Do you guys still like to play Monopoly?"

Derek looked over as Casey giggled. "Glad you thought of it, Sam. And yeah, we still like to play Monopoly." He leaned over and kissed Casey. "Very much indeed."

AN: Hope you stayed with me through all the legal jargon. Establishing the legal redress for victims of stalking or spousal abuse in Canada is important to the story, but I'm not completely happy with this chapter. It was important to me to establish Derek as I think he'll be in his late twenties: still driven and confident, but having a strongly defined moral center. I think that this is something that Casey brings to him, at least by the time he's the age he is in my story. Please review and let me know what you think. I'm working very hard on Chapter 8- it's quite dark...gothic, in fact.


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